The People's Champion

brandon_flowers

Had a debate about this in the pub last night. We haven't had a peoples champion in a while, they are rare enough I suppose. The last one that we could come up with that fitted the bill was Brave Inca but then again there was so many other horses opposing when he was out he wasn't automatically everyones favourite the same way as Danoli, Dorans Pride etc were. Moscow Flyer was very popular as well but mainly because he was stuffing the English at Cheltenham. Limestone Lad was another but with Istabraq around he wasn't as popular either. Beef or Salmon was another but he was such an enigma some people would never warm to him.


Anyone any to add or possible pretenders to the crown?

Morgans

I think Danoli and Limestone Lad were the two main ones. Think the cinderella story of the smaller stable is an element. As you mentioned, Istabraq and Moscow Flyer kept winning but didnt have that.

Colonel Sanders

Limestone Lad was one alright. Beef of Salmon was a strange one. Never have I had such a love hate relationship with a horse. Never touched him when he ran at Cheltenham but often backed him in Ireland. The day he beat The Listener in the Hennessy after being stuffed in the Lexus I realised that the horse was some kind of infectious disease!

Whyno

The Rock was the peoples champion

krustydoyle

maybe Hardy Eustace or Moscow Flyer, they were 2 of the best horses to come out of ireland so id put them 2 forward..

RichieLawlor

Inglis Drever ldo

prettyboy81

Agree with Richie.....Inglis Drever as the English People's Champ, whats that coming over the hill is it a monster, i'll never forget his 3rd victory at the Festival!

The Irish Champ for me was Moscow Flyer.....pure class & great memories!

Huntthe

Does it have to be a jumper.

Sea the stars

Morgans

I think that it helps over jumps. Given that the horses exploits are seen for more than two years. You could easily argue that Yeats or Vinnie Roe were more of a people's champion than Sea the Stars - only one run in Ireland as a 3yo. Its somehow not the same.

Diggy78

Always thought that Spotthedifference was a bit of a people's champ. Obviously not as classy as most of the top horses mentioned earlier in the thread. This horse just kept going and going, year upon year giving his all. I remember nearly dropping my baby nephew when I (probably more than just me) thought he collapsed after the Cheltenham hill. Anyway, that's my shout.

mdwexford

Huntthe wrote: »

Does it have to be a jumper.

Sea the stars

How or why, because he was unbeaten?

Flat horses can never be really "peoples champions", if they are around for years maybe people might get attached to them, Persian Punch would be the closest to one i could think of, maybe Yeats also.

But still no, has to be jumps!!!!

Shane732

mdwexford wrote: »

How or why, because he was unbeaten?

Flat horses can never be really "peoples champions", if they are around for years maybe people might get attached to them, Persian Punch would be the closest to one i could think of, maybe Yeats also.

But still no, has to be jumps!!!!

Yes I think Yeats would have to be considered a people Champion.

There are others from the flat too such as Vinne Row, maybe Brian Boru.

Huntthe

mdwexford wrote: »

How or why, because he was unbeaten?

Flat horses can never be really "peoples champions", if they are around for years maybe people might get attached to them, Persian Punch would be the closest to one i could think of, maybe Yeats also.

But still no, has to be jumps!!!!

Sea the Stars was bred by the Irish National stud trained by an Irish man in Ireland and was the best horse anyone has seen in many years if not ever. People all over the World willed him to win that Arc. He had personality and was quirky. He was highly tried and travelled. He beat all ages over varied distances. Persian Punch

mdwexford

Tons of horses are bred and trained in Ireland, means nothing.
Being good doesnt apply here either.
Did they? Think that might be a slightly biased view.

If this was a thread on best flat horses of the past 10 years you would be making a good case.

I had no love for the horse and i find it hard to see why anyone did when you only saw him a handful of times. I think your definition of a "peoples champion" differs to the norm.

Whyno

Huntthe wrote: »

Sea the Stars was bred by the Irish National stud trained by an Irish man in Ireland and was the best horse anyone has seen in many years if not ever. People all over the World willed him to win that Arc. He had personality and was quirky. He was highly tried and travelled. He beat all ages over varied distances. Persian Punch

Why would this confuse you? Check out some of this fellows races on you tube.
There is a hatfull of horses from the flat you could argue as the peoples champion. Giants Causeway, Yeats, George Washington to name a few but these are rarely seen past a 4 year old career bar yeats who truely was a superstar.

Over jumps the english have had a lot of "peoples champions" own through the years such as Desert Orchid, Best Mate, Edredon Bleu, Inglis Drever, Rooster Booster among a host of others.

Over here we've had Moscow Flyer, Hardy Eustace, Brave Inca in reent years. What really gets us going is an animal who will give his all in a dour battle and normally pull victory out of the jaws of defeat.
We also seem to latch onto more enigmatic performers, none more so that the great Harhibald.
At the moment there is an opening for our new peoples champion and hopefully after cheltenham we'll have a new one to latch onto.:)

westlife2010

my peoples champion is (dont laugh)....... Lough Derg. Stone or 2 below the best but i have rarely seen a horse find so much off the bridle and give his all. Soooooo many hard races and kept coming back for more with unbelievable performances in handicaps with massive weights. Not looking as good this year.

Whyno

westlife2010 wrote: »

my peoples champion is (dont laugh)....... Lough Derg. Stone or 2 below the best but i have rarely seen a horse find so much off the bridle and give his all. Soooooo many hard races and kept coming back for more with unbelievable performances in handicaps with massive weights. Not looking as good this year.

When he fell a couple of runs ago i was in a betting shop and nearly went crazy when the camera went away without seeing whether he got up.Truly sickening fall and looked very bad. He really trys hard every time he runs although is really struggling this season.I think his career is due to end soon.
Really funny little horse though.Has to have a mirror in his stable because hes so shallow :D

Huntthe

mdwexford wrote: »

Tons of horses are bred and trained in Ireland, means nothing.
Being good doesnt apply here either.
Did they? Think that might be a slightly biased view.

If this was a thread on best flat horses of the past 10 years you would be making a good case.

I had no love for the horse and i find it hard to see why anyone did when you only saw him a handful of times. I think your definition of a "peoples champion" differs to the norm.

Right so, they don't have to be Irish bred or any good and we have to pick 'people champions' without being biased about it

This horse was known and admired by people who are not normally interested in racing.He would also be at or towards the top of best flat horses of all time. Perhaps you should give us a definition of what is a 'peoples champion' as your definition differs to the norm, if you can actually define such a thing.

Huntthe

Whyno wrote: »

Why would this confuse you? Check out some of this fellows races on you tube.
There is a hatfull of horses from the flat you could argue as the peoples champion. Giants Causeway, Yeats, George Washington to name a few but these are rarely seen past a 4 year old career bar yeats who truely was a superstar.

Over jumps the english have had a lot of "peoples champions" own through the years such as Desert Orchid, Best Mate, Edredon Bleu, Inglis Drever, Rooster Booster among a host of others.

Over here we've had Moscow Flyer, Hardy Eustace, Brave Inca in reent years. What really gets us going is an animal who will give his all in a dour battle and normally pull victory out of the jaws of defeat.
We also seem to latch onto more enigmatic performers, none more so that the great Harhibald.
At the moment there is an opening for our new peoples champion and hopefully after cheltenham we'll have a new one to latch onto.:)

Perhaps I was being a bit harsh on persian Punch and Giants Causeway was easy to love. Yeats I can undertsand butndidn't warm to. For me George was just a spoilt brat who the Coolmore marketting machine dressed up as some kind of quirky genius.

skidrowsam

Hi guys, i have to say my peoples champion is running this year. Kauto Star. I think this horse is sooooo superior to all others rated as pretty good these last couple of seasons. What delights me is that he can't half clatter a fence sometimes and make everyone gasp, but I believe the old crafty devil does it on purpose for a laugh. He's got no contender in Denman for the Gold Cup, it's gonna be Kauto Star running up that hill putting his fellow contenders to bed
sam

Huntthe

skidrowsam wrote: »

Hi guys, i have to say my peoples champion is running this year. Kauto Star. I think this horse is sooooo superior to all others rated as pretty good these last couple of seasons. What delights me is that he can't half clatter a fence sometimes and make everyone gasp, but I believe the old crafty devil does it on purpose for a laugh. He's got no contender in Denman for the Gold Cup, it's gonna be Kauto Star running up that hill putting his fellow contenders to bed
sam

Kauto brilliant and all as he is , is another I never warmed to. If you said before Denmans last run that Kauto would win unchallenged you would have got an arguement but after that it's hard to disagree.

Whyno

Huntthe wrote: »

Kauto brilliant and all as he is , is another I never warmed to. If you said before Denmans last run that Kauto would win unchallenged you would have got an arguement but after that it's hard to disagree.

Your a hard man to please

brandon_flowers

Seen as I started this thread I better clarify what I was talking about, it was National Hunt obviously. Flat racing doesnt get a mention in pub talk in Kerry unless someone had Spencer backed at 4/9 and he was pipped by a nose and then its mentioned in a pretty dim light.

I can see how people see Sea the Stars as a people's champion but I was talking more along the lines of small stable, local owner, not a top 5 jock and tough as old boots style and he beats them all. Limestone Lad was a great example come to think of it.

I suppose Dunguib if he wins might become one, seen as the owners have rejected Mickey Leary and JP already but Dunguib is nearly too classy like Istabraq to be considered in the same bracket. CHeltenham might be good to us this year.

P.S. And if I was to pick a flat horse I'd pick Johannesburg for sickening Bob Baffert's s*** in 2001.

Huntthe

She's our mare

westlife2010

I think for it to be a peoples champion it helps to have some kind of underdog/coming back from injury story. And if you have battling qualitys it will put you into super status. In my life time the biggest I came across was Dessie. Flashy Grey and front runner was always going to catch the publics imagination. People talk about his muliple King George wins and his (a little fortunate) GC win. But the win I will always remember him for is carrying OVER 12 st to win an Irish Grand National over 3m 6f when he made a terrible mistake at the last...... One of the greats!

butter13222

I suppose Dunguib if he wins might become one, seen as the owners have rejected Mickey Leary and JP already but Dunguib is nearly too classy like Istabraq to be considered in the same bracket. CHeltenham might be good to us this year.


I think Dunguib is a bit of a rags to riches story as he was left unsold at a reserve of 19k at the sales and been consider a box walker and haveing gammy legs to where he is now and the amounts they have turned down for him

knighted_1

any one know the proper amounts that were turned down for dunguib ??(no guessing please) all i heard was one of them was 7 figures but would like to know actual amounts

Colonel Sanders

knighted_1 wrote: »

any one know the proper amounts that were turned down for dunguib ??(no guessing please) all i heard was one of them was 7 figures but would like to know actual amounts

Reportedly a 7 figure sum, no idea exactly how much

I heard someone tried to buy Cousin Vinny for a 7 figure sum after he won the Punchestown Bumper too

mr.jingle

For me it wold probably have to be Spot the Difference! A near Cheltenham banker every year of the x country races but I'll never forget his last race was in local bookies and was standing beside some lad who had money e/w on Casadei @66's and was still cheering home Spot! Then when he collapsed after the line the whole shop went silent and the biggest cheer i'd ever heard in a bookies when he got back up! Legend:D

Huntthe

Sentosa Star

Whyno

Anyone who'd reject a 7 figure some for a horse either has to much money or is away with the fairies.
A nh horse wouldnt have the capabilites of earning more than 2-3million tops. And to do that it'd have to win one of the bonuses put up by sponsors.
Kauto has earned £1.7 million from racing and a £1 million bonus for doing the triple crown which is collusal in terms of his achievements. When hes finished racing he will be showed and make guest appearances etc but this will be earning peanuts towards what he got when racing.

If the rumour of 5 million is true well i think its something you`d really have accept. Theres so much that could wrong and leave you with nothing that i`d rather have the money in the bank than taking the risk. Sure its great to have a runner(id imagine so anyway) and even better a winner in cheltenham but i`d rather just be there celebrating any irish winner with me 5 million in my back pocket

Diggy78

Whyno wrote: »

Anyone who'd reject a 7 figure some for a horse either has to much money or is away with the fairies.
A nh horse wouldnt have the capabilites of earning more than 2-3million tops. And to do that it'd have to win one of the bonuses put up by sponsors.

Would agree with this. I think it's probably the former to be honest. The likes of JP would probably pay silly money as I doubt a million here or there would matter too much to him if it meant he could have an absolutely class animal at the end of it. Either way I'd have snapped his hand off too, but then I fall firmly into the category of not having too much money.